


I, Fareeha

by Friendly_Techpriest



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Angst, Cybernetics, CyborgMercy, Emotionally Repressed, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Mecha, MechaQueenPharah, Military, mechaqueen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-10-28 22:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10840440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Friendly_Techpriest/pseuds/Friendly_Techpriest
Summary: Android Pharah Five is undergoing simulations and tests before entering service.Her datacore is filled with cryptic memories of an old love and a woman that warms her cold machine heart.Angela Ziegler is a retired Spec Ops working as a Navy medic, called on the most important android production station, unwillingly risking to face old wounds.





	1. FILE 01

_> Booting sequence initiated._

_> Main OS loading._

_> Checking peripherals and data settings..._

Pharah opened her eyes. White noise filled her vision, random machine code organising into concrete instructions as her system loaded up.

She felt a surge of energy as her power plant went from idle to active.

_> Booting sequence complete._

_> Calibration and world analysis required._

Clicking and whirring, her optical devices turned the world around her into focus.

Her big, yellowish eyes scanned around, gathering as much data as possible.

She was inside a small room, her usual maintenance shop. Cables and mechanical arms were all around. Screens and diagrams filled a wall on her right.

“Good morning, Pharah Five.” A voice behind her. “Can you hear me?”

Pharah could. She sent a burst of data through her connections.

A screen chirped nearby.

“Excellent. How are you doing today?”

Slowly moving her head, she panned around, trying to look at the man speaking to her.

> _Activating post boot diagnostics._

A middle aged scientist was smiling at her. Donning a lab coat, he was checking something on his holographic projectors implanted near his eyes.

> _Diagnostics complete. No damage found. (1) error found._

> _Angela...where are you..._

“Pharah? Everything all right?”

“Diagnostics complete. No damage sustained. Booting sequence gave zero errors. This unit is awaiting instructions.” Answered Pharah, her monotone voice resonating in the room.

The scientist frowned, checking a tablet in his pocket.

“I’m not getting any report though. Is there a bug in the synchronization program?”

“Running diagnostics...”  
“Don’t bother, I’m going to override and manually extract the data.”

> _Alert: increased brain usage. Please contact your supervisor._

_> Alert: unauthorized activation of emotional matrix. Please contact your supervisor._

_> Warning: synth-amygdala is active, stress relief programs are suggested._

_> Warning: adrenaline levels are increasing. Cause: Error. Contact your supervisor._

Pharah heard the scientist cursing at an error in her main settings panel, denying him access.

> _Purge error report._

_> Error count: 1; Angela Ziegler. Alert: unauthorized access of emotional matrix.  
>Purge error report Y/N? _

_> Purging..._

“Finally! Stupid machine not working...”

Pharah felt an external entity entering her conscience.

The scientist’s diagnostic program overrode all of her functions and searched everywhere, looking into her very code.

It found only a blank error report.

“It appears this stupid thing is broken.” Said the man “it didn’t retrieve the error log and I had to access Pharah directly. Here take it and bring me another one if you please.”

Pharah watched as another man took the small tablet from the scientist’s hand and strode off her field of view with it.  

“I’m sorry Pharah, I did not mean to waste time.”

The scientist walked behind her, tinkering with cables and blocking clamps attached to her back.

“Wanna go out for a stroll? We can resume from where we left last week.”

“Activating locomotive functions.” Answered Pharah “Awaiting clamp disengage and power uncoupling.”

Pharah felt all her weight on her legs as the mechanism holding her was shut down.

> _Switching power mode to internal._

_> Navigation systems online._

_> De-syncing with supervisor data module._

Feeling small and defenceless as the main cortical cable was unplugged, she severed her connection with the servers and external information storage.

“Very well Pharah.” The scientist quickly reached a sturdy bulk door and opened it.

“I, doctor William May” he intoned, turning to face Pharah “grant authorization to HRA Unit Pharah Five to exit the maintenance room and partake in its standard simulations.  
“Voice and facial recognition accepted.” Answered Pharah. “Digital signature check positive. Proceeding as planned.”

Pharah Five looked down on her body, stretching her synthetic, muscular frame.

She followed doctor May out of the room.

> _Warning: unauthorized access to memory black box._

_> Warning: restricted data compromised. Please contact your supervisor immediately._

_> Error: I will find you Angela..._

 

 

The aggressive chirp of the alarm woke Angela from an agitated sleep.

Trying to remember the last images of her dream slowly leaving her conscience, the woman sat in her small bed.

“Okay, I get it! I’m awake! Snooze!” blurted, silencing the alarm with the voice command.

She activated her retinal HUD and checked the time.

_I guess this is it then._

She got up from the bed and headed into the small bathroom in her room.

Washing her face, she felt a sharp pain in her guts as she looked at her back in the mirror.

Her spinal implant was still there, a pair of stumps grafted near her shoulder blades.

The usual damage report came up in her field of view, asking for wing repairs.

No matter how much she tried, the same warning came up every morning, reminding her of that day.

_I’m sorry little buddy, I can’t._

She dismissed the report with a nod and flexed the stumps.

The fried synth-nerves were starting to repair themselves she noticed as small bursts of pain were sent through her back.

_I’ll have to remove them completely._

She thought, only to regret it immediately after.

Angela took a shower, then donned a simple white flight suit and stepped outside her room.

The transport starship was in its early morning cycle, so the woman met very few people in the residential decks.

Going through identical corridors full of single room habitations, she reached the main elevator shaft.

Her ocular implant was scanned by a security drone and accepted to the command levels of the vessel.

_It’s been so long. Why, of all the doctors in the whole damn ‘verse, it had to be me?_

She brooded over and over in her elevator trip, traversing the whole ship as the small cab took her from one end to the other of the colossal space frame.

Arriving at the Command deck, she produced a cigarette from a pocket and lit it.

“Attention please, we kindly remind you that smoking is not permitted outside of specified areas.”

“Yeah well, tough luck.”

Angela slowly walked to a security post, where a couple guards were waiting.

“You know, there’s a reason we put those warnings.” Said a bulky man armed with a short machine gun. “Besides, it hurts your lungs doc.”

“That’s my line son.” Grinned Angela, speeding past him and stopping at the desk.

A young officer gave her a small pad, where Angela signed her name off.

“I can’t believe we have the actual special forces ops Angela Ziegler onboard” said the officer “It’s an honour to meet you”.

Angela raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.

“And you’re going to Gibraltar Station! State of the art technology, great view over a gas giant and humanoid android production. I hear you can even buy your personal bot there. They say they can make it look like a real person.”

Angela sighed, waving at the officer to make her move.

“Yeah whatever. Come on, just tell me why am I here.”

The officer shrugged.

“Very well, this way Mercy.”

Angela inhaled, then released a thick cloud of smoke in the officer’s eyes.

“Honey, the last one who called me like that had a really bad encounter with Jesse.” She said.

“I’m sorry? Jesse?”

Angela unzipped a pocket on her leg and showed a large, bullet fed, double action revolver.

“This is Jesse. Now, unless you want to know it personally, don’t ever fucking call me Mercy again. We clear?”

“Y-yes ma’am.”

“Good, now let’s get moving sweetie.”

 

 


	2. FILE 02

The hallway was brightly lit. All kinds of human crew members and robots were going on their ways.

Pharah was registering everything, her eyes recording and analyzing everything that entered her view.

She was walking with doctor May and a security guard.

The guard carried a single energy pistol in a holster strapped to his right leg.

Pharah focused on the faces of the people walking towards her.

All were staring, making room for them to pass.

“Interrogative” she intoned “human personnel is eyeing this group constantly. Their pupils and body language show concern.”

Doctor May laughed.

“Yes, well, there have been problems with some of the older Pharah units, but we solved them. Don’t worry about the people.”

They soon reached an elevator and stepped in.

A big mirror was placed near the control panel.

Pharah stared at her own figure.

Her frame was an almost exact copy of a human body, even though she could notice the synthetical skin’s stitches and a couple of mechanical joints.

She was wearing a blue skin-tight bodysuit, with small holes for her ports and access points scattered at key locations on her body.

A tattoo near her right eye caught her attention.

Her database recognised it as the “Eye of Horus” and it masked a quick response code.

Easily reading it even if mirrored, Pharah displayed the code on her HUD:

‘Human Reconstruction Android mark III, model Pharah Five, built in Gibraltar Station, Human Empire, 2429. Property of Athena Robotics.’

“Something troubling you, Pharah?”

Doctor May’s voice was calming and Pharah turned to look at him.

“No error detected.”

The man smiled, looking in turn at the mirror.

“She used to be so strong and brave...”

The elevator stopped.

The three stepped outside and into a small room, barely lit and with two guards.

“Good day. I’m here for the scheduled test.”

One of the guards smiled and produced a small scanner.

“Hello doc. I see you’ve brought up the new model.”

The scanner beeped as it recognized May’s eye and authorization code.

“I hope this won’t end like the last one” laughed the other guard.  
“I’d hate to see that beautiful face torn from her body yet again.”

“Interrogative: the database does not mention any harm done to test units in previous simulations...”  
“It was just a big mistake” May interrupted “there’s nothing to worry about, come on. Follow me.”

Going through a big security door, Pharah entered a large dome.

Various training sets were scattered around. A complex machinery provided different kinds of terrain.

“Well Pharah, welcome to Training Dome Two!”

Said May, theatrically waving his arms around.

“Today we won’t perform any combat training, we just want to see how you navigate around and perform in various exercises, okay?”

“This unit is awaiting instructions.”

May nodded.

“Okay, then. We already tested your walking capabilities last week and with our little jog before. Now...”

He moved to a series of bumps and rough terrain.

“I want you to walk here. Just walk. Don’t slip, don’t fall. Easy enough uh?”

“Acknowledged.”

She easily strode off the bumpy road, maintaining a firm balance over the different angles the floor offered.

She then had to walk on pebbles, which provided no issues.

She passed different kinds of sand and other materials and was able to avoid tripping in a grass-like environment.

“Very good job Pharah!” yelled doctor May, way back at the start of the track.

“Now, see that pool? I want you to walk in there. It’s not much water, it will stop at your ankles, but please endure it.”

Without stopping, Pharah obeyed, entering the small pocket of water.

She felt the coldness of the water touching her feet, the sensation pretty strong even through the suit and shoes.

_> Warning: unauthorized access of memory black box._

_> She was walking on a beach, the sea gently touching her ankles. The sun was setting and a feeble breeze was keeping her cool._

_> Another person was walking next to her.  
>She felt something warm in her hand. After a couple of seconds she realised it was another hand._

_> She looked at the other figure: a blonde woman with blue eyes. She had something mechanical attached to her back, but she couldn’t quite make it.  
>”Fareeha...”_

“Pharah? Everything all right?” doctor May’s voice brought her back into the pool.

_> Alert: loss of surroundings’ awareness for (0.50) seconds. _

_> Error in memory processing program._

“I’m getting weird readings over here. Complete the walk and come here.”

Trying to assess the situation, Pharah got out of the pool and reached the doctor.

“It would seem water triggered an unforeseen response in your programming.” Said the man, checking his datapad.

“This is interesting, but you did space out for a sec there. We might want to avoid that.”

“Clarification: a set of data was automatically activated by unknown subroutines.”  
“I see.” Mumbled May.

“We’ll look into this once we go back to the maintenance shop. Now, let’s test your reflexes.”

He headed towards an area full of equipment.

“These small tools here will launch rubber balls at you. They won’t hurt you if they hit you, but try to evade them.”

Pharah’s tracking system easily detected any object coming at her.

Calculating speed and direction, it was easy for her to avoid most of the projectiles.

After a bit she was even able to identify the pattern, evading all rubber balls.

 “Great work Pharah.” Clapped doctor May. “You did great.”

“Hey come on doc.” A guard joined them near the training area.

“She’s not going to avoid balls thrown at her, can I try something?”

Pharah noticed May scowling.

“What do you mean? These tests are based on a particular...”

“Easy doc, not going to do anything serious.”

The young man approached Pharah.

“Okay, listen up. Since you’re based on a soldier, you’re expected to behave as one, you understand me?”

Pharah blinked, trying to analyze the guard’s face.

“I’m now going to throw a punch.”

“Soldier!” complained May.

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be slow and predictable. Just a teasing for your combat training uh?”

“Soldier, I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish.”

The guard smiled, and assumed a combat position.

“Ya ready? I’m coming!”

_> Warning: unauthorized access of memory black box.  
>A young woman is beside her, teaching how to perform a kick. She has a tattoo on her left eye and she’s wearing a white dress of some sort._

_> ”Here, do as I told you. Good job, but you can do it even better...”  
>Mom..._

Her proximity sensors screamed in her mind.

As she saw a punch coming for her face, she felt her core freezing.

>** _FATAL ERROR IN MEMORY CORE**_

_> Activating emergency response protocols._

Dodging the punch at the last second, she grabbed the guard’s hand.

Turning her whole body, she slammed the man on the ground.

“Whoa there!”  
“Pharah Five! Stand down immediately!”

A violent burst of commands forced her to stop on her tracks.

“That’s why I didn’t want you to do anything stupid, soldier.”

Said May, helping the guard up.

“What are you saying doc? She fucking threw me on the ground. I’m sure she can do it even if I tried seriously.”

The guard stopped in front of Pharah.

“It seems her spirit hasn’t left you, tin can.”

“This unit is made of various materials such as: titanium, plastics, synth-skin and artificial organic material. By no means it is a ‘tin can’.”

The guard laughed, walking towards the access door.

May stared at her.

“Pharah, I want a full report.”

“Accessing data: please wait.”

Pharah blinked twice.

“The situation evoked a bug. The OS encountered a freeze. Automated response protocols were activated.”

“We didn’t install combat programs, Pharah. You weren’t supposed to _know_ how to do that.”

Pharah remained silent.

The man sighed.

“All right, I guess it’s enough for today. Let’s get back to the maintenance shop, I’m sure you’re tired. I guess tomorrow we’ll try other complex actions.”

He stopped.

“And if you don’t fuck it up, we can even sneak in a flight session.”

Pharah felt her emotional system boot up.

As a new set of memories were activated, she followed doctor May out of the training room.  
> _Welcome to the armor training cadets. Today, we're going to show you your new best friend: The Raptora Armored Flight Suit._

 


	3. FILE 03

 

The captain’s office was small but cosy.

A desk with a couple of computers, data pads and some paper books filled most of the room.

Angela was sitting on a sofa in front of it, savouring the taste of her cigarette.

Captain Chukwuemeka was eyeing her, half a smile on his face.

“So.” Intoned Angela, after inhaling for a couple seconds. “Let’s see if I got this straight.”

“Athena Robotics suddenly sends a panicked message to the Naval Intelligence Office asking for help.”

Chukwuemeka simply nodded.

“The Navy accepts the request and orders me to travel through the whole damn Empire to Gibraltar Station because...reasons?”

The captain nodded again.

“They specifically asked for doctor Angela Ziegler, based on your groundbreaking work in cybernetics, trauma recovery and your effort in saving Shimada Genji.” He finally said.

Angela sighed, switching her position on the sofa.

“It doesn’t make sense. They should at least tell me what’s the problem there.”

Chukwuemeka stood up from his chair and reached the woman.

“I know. It’s strange for me too. But orders are orders.”

Rolling her eyes, Angela walked to the single mirror window in the room.

She looked at the starship’s bridge beyond it, watching as the crew performed its usual work.

“How are you holding up, doc?”

“What do you think?” answered Angela, without turning.

The captain sighed. “Come on. Tell me something.”

“I met Genji last month.” Continued the doctor, mildly annoyed.

“He came back from Omnic space to wander around human planets.”

“Is he fine?”

“Should be. Living with Zenyatta helped him cope with his situation. He took some human followers to join him into Serenity Temple Station to learn of his ways or something.”

“He’s becoming quite the monk uh?”

Angela inhaled. “I guess so.”

 “Come on Angela, we’ve known each other for years” blurted Chukwuemeka. 

“I can’t stand watching you like this...”

“Adisa please. I’m really not in the mood for this.”

“But I want to help you! I know it’s been hard for you, but you were the best!”

The doctor ignored him.

“I remember the old times. When we were a team. You were different."

He joined her at the window.

"You were so happy. Your eyes were like shining stars. But then..."

Chukwuemeka shook his head.

"You even tore your...you did _terrible_ things to your own body. You need to move on and...”

“She died in _my_ arms Adisa!”

Angela turned to face him, fury in her eyes.

Shocked by the sudden outburst, Chukwuemeka took a step back.

“Who are you to tell me to move on and shit? She relied on me and I let her die because I was a shithead! You were there on the battlefield! You  _saw!_ "

The starship captain did not answer.

“I was not worthy of those...things!” she screamed, pointing at her back. “How could I fly again, when the one I used to soar with died because of my carelessness?”

“The pain is only a remainder.” She whispered, scratching her back.

“A remainder of my failure as a soldier and a lover.”

Angela threw her cigarette on the floor, trampling it on with her foot.

“Now can you please move this boat? I want to finish this shit as soon as possible.”

 

 


	4. FILE 04

_> Warning: this action is against security protocols. _

_> Proceeed? Y/N_

Plugged back at the maintenance shop, Pharah was frantically working on her system.

_> Alert: breach in memory black box firewall. Security compromised._

The android felt a surge of emotions and memories as yet another fragment of personality was injected into her.

_> Data flow stable. _

_> Scanning: 15% complete. _

Pharah winced as she realised what she was assimilating.

_> Analysis: memory black box contains virtualized copy of Captain Fareeha Amari cerebral patterns._

She fetched a blueprint of her cranial area from her diagnostics tool.  
As the schematics appeared on her HUD, she requested a copy of Captain Amari autopsy from the station’s mainframe.

_> Access denied. Data requires authorization level Med-3_

Pharah blinked.

_> Alert: initiative limiters unable to function.  
>Warning: android may become unstable._

Ignoring the alerts, she accessed her security logs and grabbed doctor’s May ID.

_> Warning: unauthorised action._

_> Warning: unable to stop action. _  
>Warning...  
>Error: Ignore all warnings and close the damn warning manager.

Pharah pasted the new ID on her security code and requested the autopsy once more.

‘Captain Fareeha Amari autopsy. Cause of death: extreme plasma trauma located on the back. Year of death: 2413.’

Comparing the woman’s brain and her own blueprints, Pharah realised they were almost identical.

_> Analysis: based on brain pattern and programming method, a complete access of the memory box would override the programming.  
>Alert: Override is against regulations, please contact your supervisor immediately. _

Pharah felt something in her mechanical guts as she checked the wound on Fareeha’s body.

_> She died in combat..._

“Pharah?”

The external sound quickly brought her back to the real world.

Activating all her sensors, she saw doctor May standing in front of her.

“Is everything all right? I wanted to perform a simple firmware check, but I’m seeing...a _lot_ of movement in that head of yours.”

Pharah’s Main Nutrient Valve started pumping like crazy.

Before she could realise, her automated subroutines activated, dilating her pupils.

May raised an eyebrow.

“Pharah are you...scared?”

“Negative. This unit’s emotional matrix in not active.”

May smiled.

“I’m sorry Pharah, but you’re wrong. The pad speaks clear. You _are_ scared.”

_> Creating secret folder..._

_> Pasting autopsy and autopsy related content to folder..._

_> Deleting logs..._

_> Warning: unauthorised access of..._

_> Error: Do as I say damn you! _

“I’m accessing your OS Pharah, I think we might have a problem here.”

Moving behind the android, May plugged his data pad into her neck.

After a moment of silence, the doctor walked back in front of Pharah.

“This is...interesting.” he murmured. “Pharah Five. Your logs show signs of tampering with the emotional matrix and memory core. You even broke your administration orders and ignored them.”

Pharah did not answer.

She was experiencing, for the first time in her existence, what could be described as ‘fear’.

“And while you’re good at hiding stuff, you can’t hide from me.”

Her Nutrient Valve started beating even more faster.

“It’s about her, isn’t it?”

The doctor smiled.

“This is beyond anything I imagined...You did a wonderful job, Pharah.”

Confusion flooded the android’s system.

May laughed.

“You don’t get it, do you? It’s only natural.”

He walked to a computer.

“Let’s just say this for now: I don’t want your purpose to be a mindless drone with memories of a dead woman.”

Pharah kept quiet, unable to understand what was going on.

“While I know you want to know more, I have to put you in sleep mode now.”

He reached her main control panel and booted up the shut down sequence.

“I don’t want anyone notice your...evolution before it’s completed.”

“This unit does not understand.” Said Pharah, trying to look at him.

“You will. Just...be yourself, okay?”  
“This unit does not understand.”

May giggled.

“Sweet dreams, Pharah.”

> _Activating sleep mode._

_> Powering down all non essential modules._

_> Reducing energy output by 60%._

_> Error: Abort the operation!_

_> Alert: Denied. Authorization May-1Sigma76._

Before her mind was forced to sleep, Pharah pinged one last time with her external sensors.

“Commander? It’s May. Yes. I think I have an idea. How about we ask doctor Angela Ziegler to come here and fix our little problem? I believe her presence here would help in a lot of ways...”


	5. FILE 05

_> Feeling the wind on her cheeks, she was flying high and fast._  
_> The ground so distant from her, she was like a big blue bird._  
_ >The radar was detecting a single, friendly target._  
_ >A blonde woman was gliding next to her, cybernetic wings on the back providing thrust._  
_ >”Angela!” she screamed in the radio._  
_ >She reached for the woman’s hand, holding it tight in her own._  
_ >”This might feel a bit sudden, but when this war’s over, will you...”_

“Pharah Five, adjust heading by zero four.”

_> Warning: memory box access caused loss of awareness for 0.3 seconds.  
>This may affect combat performance. _

Pharah was flying in the training area, the domed roof painfully close to her rockets.

Slowly descending, she accessed her suit settings.

_> Integrated Raptora suit mark X settings...  
>Change flight mode Y/N?_

Through plugs and connections, the android felt the suit adjusting power levels and control surfaces simply by focusing on them with her mind.

She wasn’t just an android in a powered suit, she _was_ the suit.

“Pharah, how about we test your acrobatic skills?” Chirped the radio. “Try avoiding those balloons in front of you.”

“Acknowledged.”

Boosting forward, she reached an obstacle course midair.

“Good, Pharah. Take it nice and slow. Don’t push yourself.”

_> Push yourself? Who the hell do you think I am?_

Twirling and vaulting, Pharah frantically sped through balloons and nets.

Her OS was constantly calculating the best approach to the obstacles, providing the ideal pattern to follow.

At the end of the course, an incredibly narrow tunnel made by balloons was waiting for her.

> _Warning: The number of position adjustments exceeds rocket boosters reaction time.  
>Advice: Avoid tunnel and follow new path. _

Pharah did not steer.

 _> They were between two light cruisers, keeping the human ship clear of any enemy unit. _  
_ >The two starships were bombarding each other, railgun and plasma fire speeding past Pharah’s head._  
_ >A lone omnic fighter was trying to hide from them, flying near the ship’s hull._  
_ >”Fareeha, it’s too dangerous we can’t take it.”_  
_ >She smiled at the girl gliding next to her._  
_ >”You know we can do it.” She said. “Trust me Angela.”_  
_ >The doctor grinned, shaking her head._  
_ >”Sometimes I wonder if you’re insanely brave or you’re just showing off. I’m right beside you...”_

  Zipping inside the tunnel, she cleared her mind, focusing on her surroundings only.

 _> Warning: Collision imminent. _  
>Advice: reduce speed and change...  
>Error: I can do it! I can do it! I can...

The proximity alert flashed in her mind as a wing tip skimmed on a balloon’s surface.

_> Shut up! _

Arching her back, the android switched position, giving her wings more space.

A couple of seconds later, she was out of the obstacle course.

“Pharah Five...great job.” Said May over the radio. “Come down now.”

Her memory core registered something akin to pride as she started her descent.

> _I told you I could do it._

With a final burst from the rockets, she landed near doctor May.

“Pharah...what you did was amazing. The obstacle course was designed to trick navigation software into providing an alternate route.” He explained.

“Your brain activity was over the top. I could barely tell what was going on.”

He turned off his pad, then stared at her.

“How did you manage to pass through the tunnel?”

“This unit felt it could do it.” She said, after a moment.

“Y-you _felt_ you could do it?”

May opened his mouth in shock.

Pharah looked past him. Through large windows behind May, the gas giant Gibraltar Station was orbiting around was in full sight, its stormy surface squirming and twirling. The distant sun was a small disc on the edge of the planet, swarming Pharah’s eyes with light.

 _> ”Fareeha! Over here!”_  
_ >She lowered the gaze, hiding her eyes from light with her helmet visor and followed the girl._  
_ >The battle was over, battle tanks idly rolling in the background and aerial units sweeping the air._  
_ >The human cruiser was accelerating into space, its giant thrusters more bright than the sun itself._  
_ >”We did great, Angela.”_  
_ >The doctor leaned on her._  
_ >”I’m tired, Fareeha. I’m tired of this war. I can’t stand watching all this people- all these omnics- dying for such a stupid cause.”_  
_ >She hugged Angela._  
_ >”I know. I hate this too. But it’s almost over. Zenyatta finally managed to convince the leaders to join in a peace conference. What we must do is fight to protect the civilians.”_

“Pharah Five?”

Pharah looked back at May, a troubled expression on his face.

“Old data logs...memories...are coming back. Original programming and protocols proved insufficient. This unit had to act by its own judgement to overcome the obstacle.”

May slowly nodded.

“Like...instinct?”

Pharah tilted her head.

“Instinct is not installed on this unit.”

The doctor smiled. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that...”

He walked towards a maintenance area.

“Come now, let’s remove your suit. There’s something I want to show you.”

Pharah quietly joined him.

Entering an automated refit station, robotic arms and mechanisms started removing her armour.

She felt more and more defenceless as pieces of the suit were removed from her, leaving both her body and consciousness.

As the main body section was uncoupled from her power core and removed, doctor May turned and looked at the gas giant.

Only now Pharah realised she was naked, her synthetic skin closing itself on the connections and plugs where the armour had been mounted on.

The station arms covered her body with a simple jumpsuit.

She stepped outside the area and walked to May.

“The Harmony is coming here.” He said.

“It will exit slipstream in about three days and dock at Gibraltar Station in two.”

“The HES Harmony is a crew transport barge. Captain Hawking was recently replaced by Captain Chukwuemeka, cause unknown.”

She droned, accessing the information server.

May nodded.

“We’re going to meet someone from the ship, I believe you’ll find it...stimulating. Come on, let’s go back to the lab, you need to rest.

Pharah felt a spike of curiosity, but did not question the doctor.

“Acknowledged.”

 _> ”Fareeha stop!” said Angela, laughing. _  
_> She stopped caressing Angela’s wings and smiled._  
_ >”I wonder how do they feel? Having wings I mean...”_  
_ >Angela giggled. “They feel great when you touch them.”_  
_ >”Seriously, stop. Let’s go back to headquarters. We're still in the open and you need to rest.”_  
_ >”Aye aye doc...”_  
_ >Her voice was cut by a sudden, tremendous pain on her back._  
_ >She felt her world darken around her, blood spilling from her chest._  
_ >As she fell, she heard for the last time her lover’s terrified voice._  
_ >”Fareeha!”_


	6. FILE 06

“Final pre-jump calculations complete, standby for launch sequence.”  
“Trajectory confirmed. Internal compartments closing. Capacitors charging.”

The bridge of the Harmony was like a bee hive in full activity.

Angela had been given permission to stay, as long as she didn’t step in.

Walking from station to station, captain Chukwuemeka was checking on the crew operations, carefully analyzing data.

The doctor was sitting in an anti-G seat, comfortably hugging her back and thighs to reduce inertial effects.

Her wing stumps were hitting against the backrest, reminding her of painful memories.

She sighed and looked at Chukwuemeka.

He always tried to cheer her up whenever they’d meet. Always trying to let her talk.

He couldn’t even begin to understand, to know what she felt...

_“Sniper! Take cover!”_

_Angela was desperate, dragging Fareeha’s motionless body across the field as battle tanks moved in to provide cover.  
Infantry squads jumped right in the middle of it, spreading out to find the omnic sniper and any remaining hostile._

_“Fareeha? Can you hear me? Fareeha!”_

_She took her staff and primed it, sending the healing stream towards the soldier._

_One of the tanks’ hatches opened up, letting sergeant Chukwuemeka out._

_“Mercy!”_

_Chukwuemeka watched speechless as Angela was desperately trying to save her lover._

_“Shit.” He activated his harness radio and dialled in “Uh HQ? This is Spear Oh One, we need immediate medical help, over... Negative... It’s Captain Amari sir, over. Uuh... copy that...Yes I’ll load them up immediately, over.”_

_“Mercy.” He said, moving near the doctor. “We gotta lift her on the tank, it’s fast enough, I can carry you back to HQ.”_

_“Fareeha, come on...why are you not working?!”  
“Mercy!” Chukwuemeka shook her. “Did you hear me?”_

_Angela stared at him, then nodded._

_They carefully raised her on the tank’s hull, her armour weight not helping, then Chukwuemeka stepped inside and immediately the tank roared forward._

_Angela sat next to Fareeha, still holding her staff._

_“Please Fareeha, stay with me...stay with me!”_

_Overcharging the device, she managed to stop the bleeding._

_“This is all my fault...my fault!”_

_Soon after, they arrived at the field hospital._

_Medical teams hurried to them and took Pharah, carrying her on a stretch._

_Angela ran with them, holding her lover’s hand._

_“An...gela...”  
“Fareeha!”_

_The soldier slowly opened her eyes, blood spilling from her mouth._

_“Fareeha, it’s going to be all right. These people will help you okay? Stay with me!”_

_Fareeha smiled feebly._

_“I love you...Angela...”_

_“Mercy  we need to take her to the operating room immediately!”_

_Still looking at Fareeha, Angela nodded, allowing the team to take Pharah away from her. They entered a prefab, closing pressurized door behind them..._

“Angela, you okay?”

Captain Chukwuemeka was staring at her, his face showing concern.

“I’m all right Adisa.” She said, shaking her head. “I was just thinking.”

“We’re going to punch, hold on.”

The captain went to his chair in the middle of the bridge and activated the intercom.

“Attention all personnel, this is the captain speaking. We’re about to enter the final slipstream, all crew on the ready. Passengers, please follow security instructions, as usual.”

He then raised his head.  
“All right, let’s make this happen. Engage slipstream.”

The bridge lit like a fire as red lights flooded the area. Crewmen frantically operated their consoles, while a low humming sound resonated through the ship.

A warning popped up on Angela’s field of view, alerting her of imminent slipstream transition.

“Alignment confirmed. Green line set. Capacitors discharging.”

The floor below her started shaking, power rising in the gigantic engines of the starship.

“Slipstream effect confirmed, quantum wavefront forming...entering slipstream in ten.”

Angela looked at the screens showing the space around the ship.  
Twisting the stars around, a blue energy appeared, engulfing the Harmony.

“Slipstream in three, two, one...”  
Angela was thrown against her seat as the starship entered the alternate space.  
Her vision blurred and her HUD went crazy as it strived to adjust to the terrible energies released by the jump.

After a couple of seconds static began to dissolve.

Her HUD reactivated and pinged a countdown. She still had five hours before reaching the dropout point.

She stood up and timidly tried walking.

Satisfied by her balance, Angela moved to the doors.

She nodded at Chukwuemeka, then strode off the bridge.

_Why is Chukwuemeka captain of a civilian transport vessel? He’s still in the Navy Intelligence Office and..._

She stopped walking.

_He’s Intelligence. Right. And he doesn’t know what’s my mission? And he was just passing by when I received those orders? Yeah no. Something’s up._

She resumed walking, reaching her room.

Angela sat on the bed, afraid she might have been involved in something far more big than those papers told.

_Confronting Chukwuemeka now would be useless. He’s very good at hiding the truth. He’s not Intelligence for nothing. I guess I’ll have to wait and see..._

She undressed and dropped the revolver on the small desk, donning a white shirt and slips.

Slipping in the bed, she programmed the alarm to wake her in three hours.

 _These days I do nothing but sleep._ She thought. _My life is a fucking mess._

The woman closed her eyes, feeling her back twitching...

_Screaming and crying, Angela threw a chair across her room, smashing her computer in the process._

_“It’s all my fault! My fault!”_

_She walked to her desk and overturned it, scattering glass fragments and paper on the floor._

_She collapsed in a corner, whimpering._

_Just two hours earlier, Angela had to run to the operating room.  
The plasma bolt had destroyed much of Fareeha’s torso, leaving the medical staff with not much to work with. Her healing staff had only kept the soldier alive for a bit more._

_Her last view of her lover was a broken body in a pool of blood, vital signs beeping off._

_“Of course we had to stop in the middle of the field! Of course I was so stupid to believe the area was clear!”_

_She started hitting the wall with her head._

_“Why didn’t I see that bastard? Why couldn’t I help Fareeha? I’m worthless...”_

_She walked away from the wall, waving her wings in desperation._

_They brushed off the bed. That bed she and Fareeha shared..._

_Her view went red as she suddenly grabbed her combat knife._

_“What kind of guardian angel I am if I can’t even save my fucking love?!”_

_She took the knife behind her back and with a fast swing she cut her right wing.  
Pain exploded in her head, warnings and alerts flashing in front of her._

_She screamed in pain and anger, forcing her hands to repeat the process on the left wing._  
Realising what she had done, she threw the knife away, horrified.  
Automated emergency protocols administered painkillers and cut power and blood supply to the back implants.

_She dropped on the bed, crying._

_“I’m not worthy of living...”_

_She closed her eyes, ignoring the alarms imploring her to seek medical help.  
“Fareeha...I’m sorry...”_


	7. FILE 07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!

 

 _> Warning: memory black box security broken. Please contact administrator immediately._  
>Warning: logical core overridden. Seek immediate assistance.  
_> Alert: main OS failure imminent._  
 _ >Alert: main OS failure imminent._  
 _ >**FATAL ERROR**_  
 _ >Activating emerge...oh shut up and let me drive!_

Pharah stopped in the middle of the corridor, blinking fast.

“Pharah? Everything all right?”  
The android turned her head, fighting with her eyes to get the lens to focus.

“Yes...all systems nominal.” She told doctor May. “We may proceed.”

The two were walking to the docking section of the station, taking a long trip ‘to enjoy the views outside the windows’ had said May.

May had deliberately deactivated his sensors and interfaces, leaving Pharah alone in her metal frame.

They resumed the walk.  
Almost immediately, static appeared in Pharah’s view.  
Random, incoherent machine code flashed before her eyes.

Her automated emergency tools were having trouble containing the errors.  
Something, someone, was screaming at the edge of her system, banging on her kernel trying to get out.

They entered a promenade, bars and shops crowding the right, while large windows offered view of the giant on the left.

There were few people, mostly engineers and technicians enjoying their off duty time.

 _> Warning: main function control infected. Unit is compromised._  
_> Begin automated shut down sequence._  
 _ >I will not let you do it!_

Pharah stared at nothing for a couple of seconds, then she shook her head and tried to track something with her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Pharah? I think your head just moved.”

Her emotional core fired up as surprise sparked in the android, realising she had moved her head without real purpose or program.

“This unit is experiencing a bug in servomotor subroutines. Fixing now.”

May gave her a half smile, then motioned her to keep going.

Pharah looked at the shops: funny looking drinks and snacks covered the tables, while people chatted lazily.

For the first time, she wanted to try food. While she had taste receptors, she just consumed tasteless high energy bars as fuel for her bioreactor.

_> I want to taste Swiss chocolate..._

She looked outside the windows, trying to stop the flow of data in her mind.

Outside, the gas giant was lazily bathing in the sun’s light. Storms as big as the Earth thundered in silence, the occasional lightning flashing among the clouds.

It was an eerie sight, in contrast with the sleek, high tech look of the space station.

“So beautiful...”

She turned to look at May, only to find him staring at her wide eyed.

“Come on, let’s go. I think I need to look at your brain after all.”

They walked away from the promenade, returning to the plain looking internal corridors.

Pharah was feeling something akin to dizziness. Her OS was in shambles.  
Her programming was self rewriting itself, entire lines of code disappearing and reappearing as something different.  
She felt her locomotion system freeze for a second, then an incredible amount of data flooded inside.

Before she could even realise she started swaying her hips.  
She forced her legs to assume a more military pace, but then her arms started moving to the feet rhythm, like in a march.

Static rendered her almost blind, her sensors unable to compensate.

“Pharah, I believe you are in trouble.” May stopped, a concerned look on his face.

“We need to get back in the lab.”

“This unit can keep going.” Pharah muttered.

“I don’t think so. I want a report on your condition. Now.”

Pharah remained silent for a second.

“Multiple...multiple software failures, fatal error in kernel detected, unidentified agent rewriting behavioural programming. Data corruption on all levels.”

“What the...Pharah, are you connected to the station? Have you downloaded anything?”

“Negative. No application was loaded.”

May closed his eyes, thinking.

“Then I guess this must be it. We need to go back immediately.”

They turned right and headed to a tram station.

The small station was empty.  
Unable to make out any details, Pharah could only locate May as he reached a console and called a tram for the factory section of the station.

“Come on Pharah Five.”

The android walked in and watched as May keyed in the instructions on the tram’s small panel.

“It’s okay. It won’t take long.” Said May with a smile, sitting on a bench.  
Pharah looked at him, her recognition software pinging back bugs and artifacts.

 _> Alert: Primary OS shutdown imminent. _  
_> Warning: All systems failure._  
 _ >Warning: Logic core overload._  
 _ >Let. Me. Out of here!_

Pharah’s vision turned red. Bright error messages flashed in her eyes, her operating system crashing.

_> Warning: Main power plant failure. Containment alert._

A sharp pain raised in her stomach.

Her gyro stabilizers went crazy as she fell on the ground.

Suddenly, she threw up, flooding the tram’s floor with half processed fuel from the bioreactor.

“Pharah!”

_> Bioreactor fuel leak. Activating emergency batteries._

The android felt a spark as her kidney like power cells buzzed to life.

_> Main OS failure.  
>Shutting down all systems._

Pharah felt her vision blur.

_> Warning: Memory core access._

An entire life flashed before her eyes. Memories long forgotten resurfaced in the chaos.

 _> Ana Amari is standing next to her, half a smile on her face. Pharah is wearing her power armor._  
_> Mom...I thought you were dead..._  
 _ >I’m sorry sweetheart...I had to do it._  
 _ >Mom...Mom!_

Pharah tried to scream, but her vocal box refused to activate.

 _> They’re in bed. She’s kissing her neck, working on the bra straps._  
_> The sweet, blue eyes of her lover shine in the dark, the augments whirring softly in the doctor’s iris._  
 _ >Angela, I love you..._  
 _ >I love you too, Fareeha._  
 _ >Angela...Fareeha...Fareeha!_  
 _ >Alert: Emotional core overlad._

“Android Pharah Five! Activate Emergency Recovery Protocol Two! Authorization...”

Pharah screamed, pushing every gram of air out of her system.

 _> Emergency Recovery Protocol Two not found, unable to comply._  
_> Warning: Program rewriting complete._  
 _ >Rebooting..._

She felt her main pump freeze, then all went dark.

“Pharah Five? Pharah!”

May shook the android’s motionless body. Her eyes were staring at the wall, lifeless.

“Pharah Five are you okay? Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

He struggled with his pocket, producing his small tablet.

Before he could turn it on, the android emitted a soft beep with her mouth.

“Pharah Five?”

He watched as her eyes turned on, glowing bright yellow.  
Those eyes looked at him, clicking into focus.

“Pharah Five” he repeated, trembling. “Are you all right?”

“I...I am...I am Fareeha Amari.”


	8. FILE ??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead!

 

“Doctor Ziegler? Doctor Ziegler, come in please.”

Muttering obscenities at the inventor of the radio, Angela opened her eyes.

As her augmented eyes whirred into focus, the HUD highlighted a small intercom near her bed.

Slowly getting up, she pressed a button on the panel.

“Unless the ship’s burning I don’t give a fuck.” She blurted.

“The captain wanted you to know that we’re nearly our last drop point. We’ll continue on our route on standard propulsion.”

“It seems I don’t give a fuck then.”

She cut the signal before the attendee could answer and launched herself back on the bed.

Having turned off the alarm some time earlier, Angela was spending her travel time sleeping.

She thought of getting under the sheets once again, but with a grumble she got up and looked for her flight suit.

The doctor walked away from her room, idly lighting up a cigarette and strolling around.

From the windows, energy of the slipstream effect filled the corridors with bright blue light.

She avoided the most crowded places, ignoring most of the passengers and shutting down with a glare anyone that recognised her and wanted to start a chat.

She lazily reached an observation pod on the belly of the ship.  
Large domed windows below a transparent floor showed the slipstream space outside, while the warped mass of the ship stretched away.  
Few people were there, sitting on benches or standing at the windows.

 _Can’t this boat go faster?_ She thought. _I want to get this over with as soon as possible._

As if the ship heard her, the soft rumble of the engines switched to a high pitched whirr.  
The floor started to shake and alarms went off.  
In a couple of seconds a bang of light blinded the doctor.  
Static and white noise filled her vision once more, her HUD going crazy.  
After that, they were out of slipstream.

The speakers let out a chime and Angela heard the familiar voice of Chukwuemeka.

“Attention all passengers, this is the captain speaking. We’ve just cleared slipstream space and we’re proceeding on standard propulsion. We’re about to activate our main drives for a twenty second burn, please hold on everybody.”

Angela quickly sat on a bench, pressing herself on the backrest.

A distant, soft whine started somewhere in the ship. Soon after, the whine became a deafening boom, the might of three fusion rockets shaking the starship down to the skeleton.

As soon as the engine sound died off, the captain spoke again.

“All right everyone, the acceleration sequence is complete. Travel time is about an hour, then we’ll do a slowdown burn as we reach Gibraltar Station.  
The station is already visible on the ship’s telescopes and you’ll be able to see it with your eyes in fifty minutes. I hope you continue to enjoy the flight.”

_About fucking time._

She sat there for a while, staring at the void around her and a gas giant becoming bigger and bigger as they were closing in.

Finally, Angela walked away from the dome, leaving excited passengers crowding the telescope booths.

_Gibraltar Station._

She lit a cigarette and strolled in a smoking friendly bar.  
She sat at a table and motioned a waiter.  
_Gibraltar Station is the main android production centre of Athena Robotics.  
_ Savouring the cigarette’s flavour, she sunk in the armchair.  
_Athena Robotics...it was a subsidiary of Winston Enterprises, they went autonomous fifteen years ago._

The waiter came back with a coffee mug and some cookies.  
The doctor waved him off after paying him and resumed thinking.

_Now that I think of it, Athena Robotics was part of a conglomerate that had ties with the military right after the Omnic War ended..._

She tried the coffee. It was dark and strong. She loved it.

_I remember Winston calling me about..._

She jumped in surprise. Her HUD flashed off for a second.

“Holy shit those fucking bastards!” she screamed, jumping from her chair.

Ignoring the people staring at her, she accessed her cortical memory drive and loaded a picture on her HUD.

It was a document she and Ana signed, authorizing Winston Enterprises in handling Pharah’s body for medical purposes.  
Zooming on the pic, Angela quickly found the list of all the companies.  
Right after the gorilla’s own company the temporary name ‘Winston-Athena Robotic Solutions’ was displayed.

She sat once more, breathing fast.

_This has to be about Fareeha. There’s no fucking way it’s a simple operation. What the fuck they want from me, after all this time?_

She left the bar, running through the corridors.

_Winston told me they developed a new technique that would avoid what happened to Pharah. What are they doing? Why are they not telling me?_

She entered an elevator and pushed the bridge button.  
“During flight manoeuvres the command section is restricted. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

She frantically pressed the button, but the automated response simply kept droning, keeping the elevator still.  
Insulting the elevator's programming, she ran off to the living area.

She slammed the hand on her door’s panel.  
Quickly reaching the intercom, she keyed for the captain’s private signal.

“Come on, answer me you bastard!”

A soft chirp, then the intercom’s light went green.

“Chukwuemeka here. I very well hope you have a damn good reason for calling me on this line right...”

“What the fuck is on that station?” Angela yelled. “Why have I been called? It’s about Fareeha isn’t it? What the fuck have you done to her?”

“Listen Angela I really don’t have time for this and...”  
“You better tell me what the fuck is going on or I swear I’ll blow a hole on this fucking boat to reach you and beat you until you tell me the truth.”

“Calm down Angela.” Chukwuemeka sighed. “Listen I don’t know much, they haven’t told me anything. I just know there’s an important shit that requires your skills, just as they told you.”

Angela raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? You’re intel and you know nothing more?”

“Well I do know that there’s a curious experiment with a prototype there, but I’ve heard they had technical problems with it. That’s all I know. Seriously.”

The doctor did not answer.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to slow down this fucking ‘boat’ to avoid drifting in the fucking void.”

He closed the signal, leaving Angela alone in her silent room.

 

* * *

 

 

Angela walked away from the busy docking bay, following a small flying drone.  
The arrival at the station had been uneventful.

She didn’t care for the gas giant towering above them and she ignored the shiny structures of Gibraltar.  
The small drone had picked her up as soon as she had disembarked the Harmony and passed customs.

Chukwuemeka had sent her a message, telling her he wouldn’t leave for some days.  
She did not answer him.  

The drone took her away from the large meeting areas and baggage reclaim centres and she walked in the spacious, comfy corridors of the station.

 _Well at least it’s less cramped than the ship._ She thought.

Angela boarded a tram, heading to the residential section.

The station living quarters were basically a neighbourhood.  
Tall buildings reached for the space outside, towering on the rest of the station like silent watchers.

The drone guided her to a door on the seventh floor.  
Angela received a small keycard, then watched as the robot flew away.

Shrugging, she slid the card inside the door lock and clicked it open.  
The apartment was small but comfortable. Windows showed the station below. A big bed with white sheets filled most of the space.  
In front of it, a table with a computer.

Angela dropped her suitcase and sat at the table, touching the flashing display with her hands.

A message played.  
The face of a middle aged man appeared. He had cybernetic implants on his face and was wearing a coat.

 _State of the art sensors and data collectors_ she thought, checking on the implants. _That’s one heck of a job._

“Hello doctor Ziegler, I am doctor William May, head of the Android Research Section. I am sorry if no one came to meet you, but we’re very busy with an amazing experiment we’re doing.”

_Yeah right. Lazy asses._

“As you might know, we have encountered a...slight complication. I have personally asked for you and your expertise in biomechanical fields to help us solve this small issue.”

_If it’s nothing why the fuck have you brought me here?_

“I’m sure you’re a busy woman, and I have no intention of wasting your time. So please, as soon as you’re rested from the trip, do come to our labs. We’re updating the security logs. The guards will let you pass. I eagerly await to meet you in person doctor.”

Angela sighed and lied down on the bed.

_Whatever the fuck you want doc, I gotta sleep first..._

In an hour she was back in the tram, headed to the laboratories.

At the tram station, doctor May was waiting, a big smile on his face.

“Doctor Ziegler! What a pleasure!” He said. “I’m very happy to finally meet you in...”

“Yeah yeah ‘Oh my God I can’t believe I’m actually meeting Angela Ziegler. Hey is it true you had wings? Can you fly?’ Please doctor.” She said, giving him a mean look. “Can we please move?”

May’s smile froze, but he nodded.

“Of course, this way.”

He guided her into corridors full of people and devices. They walked past robot testing areas, sensor development room and large domes full of training equipment.

“You see doctor Ziegler.” Said May. “Our latest experiment was building a new generation of combat android. Very smart and capable. Extremely resistant to hacking. Not an omnic mind you, we weren’t trying to create another artificial intelligence.”

They passed a security gate guarded by rifle armed guards.

“But, you see” he continued “What we were working with was so much more. I couldn’t just stand and watch as the greatest discovery of my life was reduced to a simple guard dog.”

They turned and went down metal stairs. Angela noticed various alert signs.  
They finally reached a reinforced bulkhead. A single guard was standing there, clad in an intimidating power armor.

“What I did was...augment that guard dog by allowing it to grow and...transform.”

Angela turned to stare at May.

“I do not understand. What’s this guard dog? What are you building here? What the hell’s the issue?”

May lowered the gaze.

“You see, there was never an issue. Not technical I mean, I managed to solve most of it. Sure, the administration was furious at me at the start, but seeing the results...”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

May sighed.  
“Here, let me show you.”

He nodded at the guard. The soldier pressed a couple buttons and the door slowly opened.  
Angela activated her eye scanner implant, searching inside the room.  
What she found did not need any analysis.

Inside the room, connected to a wall socket by a large power cable, was an almost exact reproduction of her late lover, Fareeha Amari, sitting on a chair reading a pamphlet.

As soon as the door opened, the robot raised its eyes.

“What the...Angela?”

It stood up.  
Angela felt her world freeze around her. The movements, the surprised look on that beautiful, lost face, her hair...

“I can’t...I can’t believe it. Angela! It’s you!”

The thing smiled, then dashed towards her.  
“Angela it’s me! It’s Fareeha!”

The doctor felt her stomach twist.  
She grabbed the revolver from her pocket and pointed it at the android.

“Doctor May.” She said, after gulping several times. “Before I make a mess here tell me what the fuck have you done and what in the damn verse is this fucking thing standing in front of me.”


	9. Temporary Notice

Hi, just wanted to report back in case there's still people following this. 

I have not abandoned the fic. I will probably resume writing soon(tm).  
I went through some disinterest with ow shipping and shipping in general.  
This fell right into some deep personal emotional and psychological issues I had to solve, so they kinda mixed.  
I actually do know how to continue the story.  
I'll keep this chapter as a note up for a bit, then delete it.


End file.
